Candid Courtships
by softeyesxX
Summary: For Liz, a pilot of Team Satomi, the IGPX is all shes got. Well that and her love of Takeshi, but what happens when an unexpected pilot is introduced to the team that catches Takeshi's eye and Amy's friendship?


**Authors Note: Hullo, I was browsing through the IGPX fanfic realm and I noticed there wasn't much of the Romance amongst here. So I thought I'd give it a try. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own IGPX or any of its characters, hooray for whoever does and SCENE!**

..:She Lives Where Dreamers Die:...

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Andrei sat back in his office chair leisurely, with one hand behind his head as he propped a silver phone on his ear. He was listening with a nonchalance look on his face to the speaker in the phone. He only made gruff acknowledging sounds ever once and awhile to confirm whatever the person on the other end was saying. Finally he spoke:

"Ah, I see," he turned in his chair noticing Ms. Satomi walk in through the room, he waved her in and she sat down in a chair in front of his poker table of a desk.

Papers were strewn about and no sign of the white linoleum table top could be seen. There were ratings and reviews of various IGPX teams, including Team Satomi. Ms. Satomi was browsing over some of the papers when Andrei's voice startled her as he said calmly:

"Ah, well send her over. I'll have to check with Ms. Satomi, but if she's as good as you say she is. Alright. Half an hour? Great. Team Satomi's just celebrating another victory, so they probably won't even notice she's here," he looked up at the ceiling, said his goodbyes and hung up.

"What was that about?" Ms. Satomi asked calmly still looking through the pile of papers.

"An old friend of mine has a rookie IGPX pilot that he says is pretty good. So I thought I'd offer her a spot on the team. I mean ever since River left we could use another champ than just Takeshi around here," he leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

"I see, and you're the one who's making the team decisions around here now?" Ms. Satomi's glare rose over her prim spectacles that she had placed upon her nose for reading the immense reviews.

"Come on, it's not like you wouldn't like another team member."

"All I'm saying is, I don't want to mess up whatever groove Takeshi, Liz and Amy have working for them. They work well together and I don't want to break that up. A new person may interfere with the entire routine."

"Give it a rest, Satomi," Andrei said quietly as he closed his eyes and breathed in the air that he was presented.

With that comment Ms. Satomi looked up over her reading material and shot him a look only to be returned with a sarcastic smile from Andrei.

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A soft mist of rain began to fall and soon it turned into a pour. All of team Satomi was gathered in the storage room of the IGPX's and was celebrating with music and food. Discussion of the race had not ceased since they had arrived back at the holding room.

Andrei noticed how the rain seemed to pour down and hoped the young girl who was arriving wouldn't be completely soaked. He didn't exactly know how she was arriving. By car? Or walking?

He would find out soon enough for there was thumping sound at the large door that slid open to allow the IGPX's in.

Upon this thumping sound Liz, Amy and Takeshi all yelled, "PIZZA!" and rushed to the door pushing and shoving each other aside, laughing all the way.

When Liz finally reached the door first after under swiping Takeshi in the legs, she opened the heavy door slightly with a groan and a smile on her face. Upon opening the door her grin faded as she said confused:

"This isn't the pizza man."

Amy and Takeshi and gotten up from their tumble to the floor and joined Liz at the door where rain was slanting in and hitting their faces with soft drops that cooled their faces.

A girl about Amy's height stood with bright red hair and lush green-grey eyes. Only those that you would find amongst jungle vines and steamy streams. She girl was doused in water and shivered some. She wore no makeup but the beauty of her huge doe eyes astonished the onlookers.

"Hu-" she shivered some and continued, "Lo." After staring for about thirty more seconds, Andrei pushed past them and said aggressively,

"What's the matter with you three? Haven't you ever seen a girl before?" He tugged the soaking girl into the room who was dressed in a knitted grey sweater and white shirt underneath and rain soaked jeans. Her hair fell in tendrels around her face and dripped to the floor. She was barefoot until Andrei noticed flip flops hanging from her fingers.

"Well that's a stupid question. If you haven't noticed I am a girl!" Liz said as she watched the girl.

"No, I didn't notice" Andrei said back with a slight grin, "Amy, go and get some of your clothes for our guest will you? Before she freezes to death,"

The girl looked down at her hands which had a crumpled piece of paper in them and un crumpled it slowly. It was so wet that the rain had smeared the precise writing upon it.

"Are you-", the girl shivered again her lips quivering with cold, "Andrei G-G-G-."

"Yes I'm Andrei," just then Amy had returned with warm pajamas and whisked the girl off to a nearby bathroom. When Andrei turned to Liz and Takeshi he noticed the looks on their faces.

Takeshi was stunned his mouth open at such beauty and also surprised at the girls sudden entrance. Liz, however, was not amused.

She had her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side,

"Who is she?" Liz said almost defensively.

"She's a new team member and a renowned mechanic on IGPX's." Andrei explained without much enthusiasm.

"We have a mechanic," Liz said as if this wasn't apparent, "And enough IGPX pilots."

The fact was, Liz was worried that this girl might be taking her spot. Of course she didn't exactly know what she was here for, but you only needed three IGPX pilots for every race and if she was let go, she would have no where else to go. The IGPX was her life and no one was going to take that away from her.

"Liz calm down, a friend asked me to take her in," Andrei said walking away glancing the IGPX's as he passed.

Was this the end of her piloting career? She couldn't, this was all that she had ever loved. well that and Takeshi, but no one would ever know about that.

She sighed dismally and looked to the rain. Takeshi still had his mouth open and Liz called to him,

"Hey! Takeshi, it's a girl okay? Don't get your panties in a bundle over some girl," she sighed and walked back to her IGPX where she climbed up the side of it to her cock pit. Here she could be alone. Only until someone asked for her.

She couldn't be kicked off Team Satomi.

Or maybe she was just jumping to far ahead.

Maybe.


End file.
